 Fact is, most people just aren’t
interested in ancient history. Oh, sometimes they feign interest,
talking about Cleopatra for a spell (Elizabeth Taylor firmly
in mind) or talking about life among the Romans (thinking
all the while of Charlton Heston and Ben-Hur),
but such things are passing fads, interest in the latest “thing”
more than anything else. We all loved the notion of Roman
gladiators after Ridley Scott’s (overrated) Gladiator,
British royalty after Cate Blanchett’s stirring portrayal
of Queen Elizabeth in the
movie of the same name, and orcish history after The
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, but
how firmly is ancient history truly engrained in our consciousness?
In the case of Egypt’s Tutankhamun, better known to
the masses as King Tut, firmly indeed..
From some 5,000 years in the past, Egypt’s King Tutankhamun
has captivated even those uninterested in history, the mystery
of this great (or was he?) leader all but defining Ancient
Egyptian culture for some. For many, King Tut is Ancient Egypt, a nebulous idea more than a real person. A
golden symbol of a culture older than 30 Americas.
The History Channel’s King Tutankhamun: The
Mystery Unsealed seeks to unravel the most cloudy
aspects of King Tut’s history even while playing into
the very mystery that gives his life its allure. Tut’s
fame is interesting because his name is legendary despite
his time as a leader being, to the best of our knowledge,
less than noteworthy, The fact is, many were the leaders more
notable in Egypt’s history, whether by the legacy of
their rule or the legacy of what they left behind. Despite
this, it is Tutankhamun, a relatively minor boy-king, who
thousands of years later captures the imagination of those
otherwise disinterested in ancient history.
 Did
you catch that part? Thousands of years later. That’s
the magic behind King Tut, and the magic behind what the History
Channel does. Whether this is a quality feature (it is) or
whether this is information worth knowing (arguable, but I
say it is) can be debated. What can not be debated is the
remarkable strides the History Channel has taken in bringing
history to the masses. I admit, as a reviewer I’m biased.
I’m not a history major and far from a history expert,
but I’m a history lover; this stuff fascinates me and
keeps me engaged. The layman’s features the History
Channel offers with most of its productions are inviting for
someone like me. Just scholarly enough to inform, just casual
enough for the layman, they manage to strike a good balance.
 The
main feature (two other full features round out the set; see
below) offers a well-produced overview of the entire King
Tut story, both from an historical perspective and from the
perspective of archaeological discoveries. Great narration,
nice photography, still pictures. Very professional.
In a way, this is more of the same when it comes to History
Channel DVD releases. Take a few of the very formula-driven
episodes of shows they broadcast, package them together by
theme, and toss it onto the shelves. Sounds kind of half-assed
and cheap, but if you’re interested in the subject matter,
it really isn’t a bad thing. All in all, this is very
solid stuff done in a style now very familiar: Some talking
heads, reenactments, computer simulations, and so on. It’s
very History Channel, and while that means it ain’t
art, it also means it’s very accessible for the casual
viewer.
Presentation
Everything
on this disc (previously released on the Mummies &
Wonders Of Egypt set) looks as you’d expect.
These are solid transfers of well-produced TV features. And
that’s just what they look like. Because The History
Channel relies on reenactments and computer work more than
archival footage, the quality is pretty consistent throughout.
Nothing special, but nothing to scoff at, either.
 Extras
The folks at A&E Home Video added
a couple of very nice bonus features to this disc that really
round out your value. “The Curse Of King Tut,”
which is an episode from the Investigating History series, and “Howard Carter: Triumph & Treasure,”
from A&E Biography. The former title
focuses on Tut the historical figure – was the boy king
murdered? What is the Curse of King Tut? – and gives
an in-depth look at how forensics can tell us more about history,
while the latter focuses on the triumphant 1922 discoveries
of archeologist Howard Carter, who gave to the world the first
ever pristine burial chamber of an Egyptian King when he found
the remains of King Tut, and an overall look at the famous
archeologist's life.
Oh
yeah, the release also has dazzling Interactive Menus (for the layman, this means that if you click the various
options presented, those options will work) and Scene
Selection (which allows you to select a scene, and then
watch the scene you selected).
Wow!
Scene selections? What more could a DVD fan ask for?
The Bottom Line
More of the same from The History Channel
- but releases like this are really all about the subject
matter, and say what you will, The History Channel does a
good job of packaging history for the masses. To me, that’s
hardly a bad thing. If you have any interest in King Tut,
archeology or ancient history, this is a fine purchase.
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